Rabbi Bec Richman
An artist and a rabbi, Bec brings ancient teachings to life through the work of her hands as a potter, soferet / Torah scribe, calligrapher, and writer.
Rabbi Bec (she/her) is a mother, potter, soferet STAM (Torah scribe), Hebrew calligrapher, and writer. A proud member of the progressive scribal collective, STAM Scribes, Bec is currently scribing her first full Sefer Torah for Beth El - The Heights Synagogue in Cleveland. As a soferet STAM, Bec offers scribal arts workshops, community writing projects, and participatory Torah repairs to communities near and far, designed for both adults and children. Inspired by the sacred texts she scribes, Bec brings Hebrew letters to life in stretched, playful form through her handmade pottery and calligraphy. In her home studio, Bec brings letters to her functional Judaica and sculptural pottery with a centuries-old surface-decoration technology. Bec is a Creative Facilitator of the Jewish Studio Process, weaving together textual inquiry, art making, and reflection. A poet and writer, Bec is working on a mixed-media book about her journey writing Torah as a mother of three young children.
Bec accepts commissions for original art pieces and pottery. She is available for scribal / artist residencies and community learning, and she can be hired to facilitate the Jewish Studio Process in-person or online.
A graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, Bec lives in a cooperatively owned, side-by-side duplex with her family and close friends in Cleveland Heights, OH. When her hands aren’t covered with ink or clay, they’re typically turning the pages of a book or The New Yorker, holding the handlebars of a cargo bike, stuffed into her pockets on long walks, or holding a cup of decaf coffee.